1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage subsystem such as, for example, a solid-state storage device. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems and methods for segmenting a storage array on the storage subsystem and assigning different characteristics to each segment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Solid-state storage solutions are used to store a wide variety of data. With increasing memory capacity, a mixture of information (e.g., program files, setup files, user data, etc.) can be conveniently stored on a single solid-state storage subsystem such as an advanced technology attachment (ATA) flash disk or a removable flash memory card. The mixture of information may include sensitive information not intended for unauthorized users. For example, a host computer system may store a person's personal or financial information on a solid-state storage subsystem that stores other types of data, applications or programs. Current available technology, such as simple password features or read/write access controls, works at an overall storage subsystem level. That is, a password or read/write restriction applies to an entire solid-state storage subsystem. Different parts of a single solid-state storage subsystem typically cannot be given different levels of protection or access control. In addition, vendor-specific commands (e.g., an ultra-fast data erasure command) typically cannot be implemented for only parts of a solid-state storage subsystem.